My spouse and I have taken on the “Plastic Free July” Challenge this year, a movement that began in Western Australia back in 2011 and has since grown to include over 2 million participants from 159 countries.
You may have heard about going “plastic-free” or adopting a “zero waste” lifestyle, but what does it really mean? Before diving into the details, let’s start with the “why.”
Two statistics profoundly impacted our decision to participate in Plastic Free July:
Every piece of plastic ever made still exists today.Yes, you read that right. Plastic didn’t become widely available to consumers until the early-to-mid 20th century. It became popular because it was cheap and easy to produce and purchase. However, these plastic products take hundreds to thousands of years to decompose. This means that your mother’s childhood toothbrush is likely still intact in a landfill—or worse, floating in the ocean.
By 2050, scientists estimate there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish.This is a startling prediction considering 2050 is only 32 years away. Our oceans are increasingly polluted with plastic shopping bags, coffee cups, toys, water bottles, and countless other items. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a massive collection of plastic waste floating in the Pacific Ocean, is now twice the size of Texas, covering roughly 600,000 square miles.
If you need more reasons to reduce your plastic usage, a quick Google search will reveal countless alarming facts about the impact of plastic on our planet. Nearly half of all plastic produced is used for single-use or disposable products, which is where the concepts of plastic-free and zero waste come into play.
Plastic-Free Living means exactly what it sounds like—living without plastic. I can already imagine you glancing around your home, panicking at the sight of all the plastic items. But don’t worry—it’s a process!
Zero Waste Living is a philosophy focused on altering our consumption cycles. It emphasizes the six R’s of sustainability. Yes, six! We’ve added a few more to the classic Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Reduce Make an effort to reduce the amount of waste you generate. One way to do this is by buying in bulk whenever possible. For example, instead of buying an entire bag of coconut flour for a recipe you might never make again, consider purchasing only what you need. Many stores allow you to bring your own containers—just check before you go to avoid any mishaps.
Reuse/Repair Don’t throw it out! Old jars can be cleaned and reused for bulk purchases or homemade sauces. Outgrown clothes can be repurposed as cleaning rags. Lost a button on your winter coat? Sew on a new set—maybe even a fun, colorful one! The possibilities are endless.
Recycle Recycling reclaims the raw materials from an item, like paper, which is frequently recycled. However, recycling should be a last resort after reducing and reusing, as it often requires significant energy and resources.
Refuse This is one of the easiest ways to reduce plastic intake. Refuse plastic shopping bags by bringing your own, carry your own utensils to avoid plastic cutlery, and use fabric napkins instead of paper ones. There are countless ways to refuse single-use items!
Rethink Before making a purchase, consider the product’s origin, materials, and sustainability. For instance, we switched from plastic toothbrushes to bamboo ones that can be composted. You can also support small, woman-, and minority-owned businesses through mindful shopping.
Rot Compost your food scraps! Some communities offer curbside compost pick-up, and if you have a yard, consider starting a compost pile. Even if you live in an apartment, there are services like Bootstrap Compost that make composting easy.
For my spouse and me, this has been the beginning of a long journey toward a plastic-free and zero-waste life. We’ve been researching, making adjustments, and sharing our progress on social media (check out our hashtag #JJIntentionalLiving). It’s a big undertaking for just the two of us—I can’t imagine how overwhelming it could be for larger families!
I wanted to create an overview of going plastic-free and zero waste for families, hoping to ease some of the anxiety around adopting these lifestyle changes. I also hope it sparks conversations with your neighbors, co-workers, and children. If we want to ensure that fish outnumber plastic in the oceans, we must pass this knowledge on to the next generation.
Over the next few days, I’ll be posting plastic-free and zero-waste tips for various aspects of life, including eating, shopping, toys, and kitchen supplies. These won’t be exhaustive lists, but they’re a great starting point. I hope they inspire you to embark on this journey with your own family. Together, we can begin to undo some of the damage to our planet.
This post is an edited version of an original blog post I previously published.
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